Youngest Pro Go Player Nakamura Loses Her Official Debut Match

Osaka, April 22 (Jiji Press)--Youngest professional Go player Sumire Nakamura, who is 10 years and one month old, failed to make her official debut win on Monday.

Nakamura, a first-dan player of the traditional board game who turned professional earlier this month, lost to first-dan Ran Omori in a qualifying match for the 29th Ryusei tournament in Osaka. Omori, 16, became a pro at the same time as Nakamura.

Nakamura rewrote the previous youngest debut record of 11 years and eight months, marked by now 20-year-old Rina Fujisawa, who holds three titles for female Go players including Meijin.

"I was too nervous to play very well," Nakamura said. "I'm frustrated. The latter part (of the match) didn't go well."

After starting to play Go at the age of 3, she trained as a professional player candidate at the Japanese and South Korean Go associations.